Support for Windows 10 ends on October 14, 2025. Microsoft wants you to buy a new computer. But what if you could make your current one fast and secure again?

If you bought your computer after 2010, there’s most likely no reason to throw it out. By just installing an up-to-date Linux operating system you can keep using it for years to come.

Installing an operating system may sound difficult, but you don’t have to do it alone. With any luck, there are people in your area ready to help!

5 Reasons to upgrade your old computer to Linux:

  1. No New Hardware, No Licensing Costs
  2. Enhanced Privacy
  3. Good For The Planet
  4. Community & Professional Support
  5. Better User Control
  • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
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    1 day ago

    Switched to Linux seven weeks ago on my daily driver laptop.

    Since then, I’ve got my wife on Linux, my TV’s mini PC on Linux, my desktop system on Linux, and a spare laptop on Linux.

    Thanks for being greedy, unethical assholes, Microsoft! And I was one of those users who PAID for a Windows license. Great job! 😘

  • LWD@lemm.ee
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    23 hours ago

    Counterpoint:

    The solution is simple. You can just use the Official Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 edition to get updates till Jan 13, 2032.

    (Note: if you can just switch to Linux instead, just switch to Linux)

    • Lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 day ago

      But why, when you can use Linux?

      In all seriousness, if you need Windows for some applications, spin up a VM and put a stripped-down LTSC version on that. I have one such VM on my laptop for Toyota’s Techstream software for my cars. That program is Windows-only.

      • LWD@lemm.ee
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        1 day ago

        I’ve considered the “just use Linux” arguments thoroughly and they always come up short for my serious computing work.

        It works for 90% of my use cases, the other 10% is unbearably difficult or impossible to reconfigure. And that’s with the assumption I do a pretty significant HD shuffle just to work up to that functionality.

        And that’s without worrying about the long term update stability of stuff like Linux, where Ubuntu updates can cause major system issues if you don’t get the next major version. (And please don’t say that a less user-friendly release is the solution to that). 7 years from now beats Ubuntu’s 5 <4 years of updates…

    • Redjard@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 day ago

      Did that recently and it does cause issues.
      On purpose or not it is basically impossible to install some components, I couldn’t install media features for example due to endless dll incompatibilities.

      Further windows does not allow an upgrade, it will do a full reinstall to ltsc. It isn’t a switch you can make easily

      • LWD@lemm.ee
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        1 day ago

        This fixes the “end of support” problem for around 7 more years

        • lambalicious@lemmy.sdf.org
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          1 day ago

          fixes

          No, it only moves the goalpost. Am also unsure LTSC can run anything that Windows can, I’ve seen lots of sofwtare fail only in LTSC, in particular some specific games, or science software with some particular requirements.

          • LWD@lemm.ee
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            1 day ago

            And if I switch to Ubuntu, I’ll have to worry about a major version upgrade in April 2029, which is a lot of change for an even less forgiving goalpost… For a lot of people, including unfortunately myself, “just use Linux” isn’t really viable

      • FiveMacs@lemmy.ca
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        1 day ago

        Because it’s costs money and keeps you with windows. It’s not a good one but it’s a solution to maintain status quo.